Happy First Friday of 2021. I hope your year is off to a good start. Of course, with the pandemic still raging in various parts of the world and the chaos here in the states, it has been a slightly rockier start than one might have hoped for.
Things have, at least, been fairly quiet on the day job. Not everyone is back to work yet, and the calendars haven’t filled up with Zoom calls, so I had plenty of uninterrupted working time this week. That won’t happen next week, so I made sure to take full advantage of it this week to get a lot of tasks taken care of.
Now, I’m looking forward to the weekend. I have very little planned, other than packing away the remaining holiday decorations and giving the house a good sweeping/dusting, now that the repairmen are all gone for the time being. It’s amazing how much dust is everywhere after more than a week of industrial fans blowing. Who could have predicted that?
Whatever else I do (or don’t do), I’m going to make sure to give today’s writing prompt and random words a try.
Care to join me?
For those of you working away on a story (whether a first draft or a polished version on its way to publication), if you’re not feeling random, we’d love to hear a bit – whether it’s a scene, a paragraph, or even a phrase that you are especially pleased with and would like to share.
If you don’t have a story in progress, or just want to work on something new, I hope either today’s random words or writing prompt will catch your creative fancy.
Ready?
Prompt: Time for a Change
Feel free to interpret the “What” any way you choose (or ignore it completely) and include any (or all) of the following random words:
artificial cinder sweet decay
invader flake charming badge
genuine felony disaster admission
drink headache chalk cheese
I look forward to seeing your stories in the comments. If you’re not feeling in the writing mood today, or don’t have time, feel free to post suggestions you might have for future “what-if” prompts. Ideas are always welcome.
Happy writing to all!
Eight Ladies Writing 
Sounds like you’re off to a good start in the new year, Elizabeth! I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Time for a Change
Arrietty Flugelhorn looked up from her drink, her smile as artificial as the fake cheese drowning the nachos.
“It’s time for a change, sweetcakes,” she told her husband, Finlo, poking the genuine disaster that was to have been their lunch.
“Couldn’t agree more, old trout,” Finlo agreed without indicating any admission of guilt. It had been his idea to order the nachos. “Those things are a felony waiting to happen. Charming dress you’re wearing, say what?”
“Not just the nachos, Finlo,” Arrietty said.
“No,” Finlo said.
“First off, we have to disinvite that flake, Morris. The last time we included him, he wore his work badge. It’s a miracle we weren’t arrested.”
“Gave me a headache, that one,” Finlo agreed.
“We won’t make that mistake again. Chalk it up to experience.”
“Need to find an older bank,” Finlo said.
“One with decaying foundational supports.”
“Cinder block,” Finlo said knowingly. “Insufficient alarm systems.”
“The better to invade you, my dear.”
Finlo chuckled. “I’m thinking the Western and Eastern National Bank of the Southwest,” he said. “That’s the ticket.”
“Just what I was thinking!”
Finlo rang for the waiter. “Calls for a G&T, don’t you think, old thing? The better to wash away those dreadful nachos.”
Love this, Kay, especially that “wore his work badge” bit–surely a nod to the recent protestors who did so (and got fired).
I hope your year is off to a good start as well and continues in a positive direction.